Validation of the high performance leadership competencies as measured by an assessment centre in-basket

The original publication is available at http://www.sajip.co.zaCITATION: Spangenberg, H. H. & Theron, C. C. 2003. Validation of the high performance leadership competencies as measured by an assessment centre in-basket. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 29(2):29-38, doi:10.4102/sajip.v29i2.106.The purpose of this study was to validate Schroder’s High Performance Leadership Competencies (HPLCs), measured by a specially designed In-basket, against multiple criteria. These consisted of six measures of managerial success, representing managerial advancement and salary progress criteria, and a newly developed comprehensive measure of work unit performance, the Performance Index. An environmental dynamism and complexity questionnaire served as moderator variable. Results indicated disappointing predictive validity quotients for the HPLCs as measured by an In-basket, in contrast to satisfactory predictive and construct validity obtained in previous studies by means of a full assessment centre. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions are made for improving the validity of the In-basket.Die doel van hierdie studie was die validering van Schroder se Hoëvlak Leierskapsbevoegdhede, gemeet deur ‘n spesiaal ontwerpte Posmandjie, teen veelvoudige kriteria. Dit behels ses metings van bestuursukses wat bestuursbevorderings- en salarisvorderingskriteria insluit, sowel as ‘n nuutontwikkelde, omvattende meting van werkeenheidsprestasie, die Prestasie indeks. ‘n Vraelys wat die dinamika en kompleksiteit van die omgewing meet, het as moderator veranderlike gedien. Resultate dui op teleurstellende geldigheidskwosiënte vir die Hoëvlak Leierskapsbevoegdhede soos gemeet deur ‘n posmandjie, in teenstelling met bevredigende voorspellings- en konstrukgeldigheid wat in vorige studies deur middel van ‘n volle takseersentrum verkry is. Die bevindinge word bespreek en voorstelle word gemaak om die geldigheidskwosiënte te verbeter.https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/106Publisher's versio

Development of a questionnaire for assessing work unit performance

The original publication is available at http://www.sajip.co.zaThe aim of this study was to develop a generic work unit performance measure that can be utilized in private, public and non-profit work units. Development of such a questionnaire, called the Performance Index (PI) comprised three steps, namely deciding on a baseline structure for the model; verifying the model and dimensions through subject expert feedback; and consolidating the model and refining the questionnaire. The sample consisted of 60 units rated on a 360 basis by 257 respondents. Item and dimensionality analyses, followed by confirmatory factor analysis utilizing LISREL produced acceptable model fit. Overall, results provided reasonable psychometric support for the Performance Index.Die doel van die studie was om ’n generiese werkeenheid- prestasiemeting te ontwikkel wat in privaat, openbare en nie-winsgerigte organisasies gebruik kan word. Die ontwikkeling van die vraelys, die Prestasie-Indeks (PI) het drie stappe behels, naamlik om te besluit op ’n onderliggende struktuur vir die model; om die model en dimensies deur middel van ekspert-beoordeling te verifieer; en om die model te konsolideer en die vraelys af te rond. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 60 eenhede wat op ’n 360-basis deur 257 respondente beoordeel is. Item- en dimensionaliteitsontledings, gevolg deur Lisrel-gedrewe bevestigende faktorontleding het gedui op aanvaarbare modelpassing. In geheel beslou het resultate redelike psigometriese ondersteuning aan die Prestasie-Indeks verleen.Publisher's versio

Discovery, Isolation and Characterisation of Promoters in White Clover (\u3cem\u3eTrifolium Repens\u3c/em\u3e)

The availability of a suite of promoters with a range of spatial, temporal and inducible expression patterns is of significant importance to control targeted expression of genes for molecular breeding in forage species. A range of resources and tools have been developed for promoter isolation and characterisation in white clover (Trifolium repens L.), including a comprehensive BAC library and a 15K unigene microarray

LXR\u3csup\u3eTM\u3c/sup\u3e White Clover: Development of Transgenic White Clover (\u3cem\u3eTrifolium Repens\u3c/em\u3e) with Delayed Leaf Senescence

Leaf senescence is a type of programmed cell death characterized by loss of chlorophyll, lipids, protein, and RNA. Cytokinins are a class of plant hormones that play roles in many aspects of plant growth and development, including leaf senescence, apical dominance, the formation and activity of shoot meristems, nutrient mobilization, seed germination, and pathogen responses. They also appear to mediate a number of light- regulated processes, such as de-etiolation and chloroplast differentiation. It is known that the concentrations of endogenous cytokinins decline in plant tissues as senescence progresses. This observation provides the opportunity to manipulate the senescence program in transgenic plants to enhance biomass and seed production, through the regulated expression of cytokinin biosynthesis genes

Atmospheric halogen and acid rains during the main phase of Deccan eruptions: magnetic and mineral evidence

Environmental changes linked to Deccan volcanism are still poorly known. A major limitation resides in the paucity of direct Deccan volcanism markers and in the geologically short interval where both impact and volcanism occurred, making it hard to evaluate their contributions to the mass extinction. We investigated the low-magnetic-susceptibility interval just below the iridium-rich layer of the Bidart (France) section, which was recently hypothesized to be the result of paleoenvironmental perturbations linked to paroxysmal Deccan phase 2. Results show a drastic decrease of detrital magnetite and presence of scarce akaganeite, a hypothesized reaction product formed in the aerosols derived from reaction of a volcanic plume with water and oxygen in the high atmosphere. A weathering model of the consequences of acidic rains on a continental regolith reveals nearly complete magnetite dissolution after ~31,000 yr, which is consistent with our magnetic data and falls within the duration of the Deccan phase 2. These results highlight the nature and importance of the Deccan-related environmental changes leading up to the end- Cretaceous mass extinction

Atmospheric halogen and acid rains during the major Deccan episode: magnetic and mineral evidences

Environmental and climatic changes linked to Deccan volcanism are still poorly known. A major limitation resides in the paucity of direct Deccan volcanism markers and in the geologically short interval where both impact and volcanism occurred, making it hard to evaluate their contributions to the mass extinction. We investigated the low magnetic susceptibility interval just below the Iridium-rich layer of the Bidart (France) section, which was recently hypothesized to be the result of palaeoenvironmental perturbations linked to paroxysmal Deccan phase-2. Results show a drastic decrease of detrital magnetite and presence of fine specular akaganeite, a hypothesized reaction product between FeCl2 from the volcanic plume with water and oxygen in the high atmosphere. A weathering model of the consequences of acidic rains on a continental regolith reveals nearly complete magnetite dissolution after about 33,000 years, which is consistent with our magnetic data and the duration of the Deccan phase-2. This discovery represents an unprecedented piece of evidence of the nature and importance of the Deccan-related environmental changes

Mycolactone Diffuses into the Peripheral Blood of Buruli Ulcer Patients - Implications for Diagnosis and Disease Monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), is unique among human pathogens in its capacity to produce a polyketide-derived macrolide called mycolactone, making this molecule an attractive candidate target for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Whether mycolactone diffuses from ulcerated lesions in clinically accessible samples and is modulated by antibiotic therapy remained to be established. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Peripheral blood and ulcer exudates were sampled from patients at various stages of antibiotic therapy in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Total lipids were extracted from serum, white cell pellets and ulcer exudates with organic solvents. The presence of mycolactone in these extracts was then analyzed by a recently published, field-friendly method using thin layer chromatography and fluorescence detection. This approach did not allow us to detect mycolactone accurately, because of a high background due to co-extracted human lipids. We thus used a previously established approach based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. By this means, we could identify structurally intact mycolactone in ulcer exudates and serum of patients, and evaluate the impact of antibiotic treatment on the concentration of mycolactone. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study provides the proof of concept that assays based on mycolactone detection in serum and ulcer exudates can form the basis of BU diagnostic tests. However, the identification of mycolactone required a technology that is not compatible with field conditions and point-of-care assays for mycolactone detection remain to be worked out. Notably, we found mycolactone in ulcer exudates harvested at the end of antibiotic therapy, suggesting that the toxin is eliminated by BU patients at a slow rate. Our results also indicated that mycolactone titres in the serum may reflect a positive response to antibiotics, a possibility that it will be interesting to examine further through longitudinal studies

Капитальный ремонт магистрального газопровода "Уренгой-Петровск" с переходом через автодорогу

Объектом исследования является: технология ремонта газопровода ручной дуговой наплавкой. Цель работы – изучение, анализ и обоснование выбора метода капитального ремонта магистрального газопровода, доказательство его эффективности. В работе исследованы основные этапы проведения ремонта магистрального газопровода и необходимого для этого оборудования. Вследствие износа необходим капитальный ремонт данного участка газопровода. В качестве способа ремонта выбран метод ручной дуговой наплавки. В работе показана последовательность проведения работ методом наплавки, приведен технологический расчет.The object of the study is: technology of pipeline repair manual arc welding. The purpose of the study, analysis and rationale for selecting the method of overhaul of gas-main pipelines, the proof of its effectiveness. The paper examines the main stages of the repair of gas pipeline and the necessary equipment. Due to wear the necessary overhaul of this section of the pipeline. As the method of repair chosen method of manual arc welding. The paper shows the sequence of work by overlaying method, the technological calculating

Can Ambient Scent Enhance the Nightlife Experience?

Ever since smoking was prohibited in restaurants, bars, and clubs, undesirable smells that were previously masked by cigarette smoke became noticeable. This opens up opportunities to improve the dance club environment by introducing pleasant ambient scents that mask the unwanted odors and to allow competing clubs to differentiate themselves. A field study was conducted at three dance clubs using a 3 × 3 Latin square design with pre- and post-measurements of no-scent control conditions. The three scents tested were orange, seawater, and peppermint. These scents were shown to enhance dancing activity and to improve the evaluation of the evening, the evaluation of the music, and the mood of the visitors over no added scent. However, no significant differences were found between the three scents